Since 2000 every Sheriff Court in Scotland has had the option of referring people convicted of a Drink Drive Offence to a rehabilitation Course as part of their disposal. The Road Traffic Offenders Act (ROTA, 1988) makes provision for sentencing drink drive offenders and for the conduct of approved DDRS training providers.

An article published in the early 1970’s (Martinson, 1974) about the impossibility of reducing re-offending attracted considerable academic activity including research, theorising and debate. There is now a belief that much that can be done to reduce re-offending, including offering offenders an offence focused group-work intervention. Effective programs utilise the risk, need and responsivity principles. They are also community based, have a range of treatment modalities and have program integrity (McGuire, 1995).

How does the DDRS fit with the ‘What works’ debate?

The Risk Principle: There is a match between the offender risk level and the intensity of the intervention. From experience of delivering these course, most drink drive offenders are not versatile offenders involved in a range of offending but first time offenders. The 16 hours of education in the DDRS is suitably pitched for the risk of re-offending these participants pose.

Responsivity Principle: The intervention should be structured, have a range of participatory rather than didactic methods of learning and should draw on the experiences of the participants. The DDRS is a structured course that uses experiential participatory methods for learning. The ISM course is also developed particularly for a Scottish culture drawing on legislative changes and Government Policies on Alcohol consumption and healthier lifestyles.

Community based: Interventions based in the community yield more effective outcomes. The DDRS is facilitated in the community, which is likely to enhance real-life learning.

Treatment modality: The most effective interventions are multi-modal (i.e. recognise the breadth of participant’s difficulties), are skills orientated and utilise cognitive-behavioural methods. The DDRS has scope for participants to discuss the range of difficulties contributing to their offence, develops strategies and skills for managing drink driving behaviour and is underpinned by a Cognitive Behavioural model for understanding and implementing behavioural change.

Programme Integrity: The intervention is facilitated as per the stated aims, there is sufficient resources and facilitators are appropriately trained and supported. There should also be an agreed plan for monitoring and evaluation. The DDRS is aligned to the prescribed syllabus as set by the Driving & Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA). All staff are trained to at least degree level and are experienced in facilitating behavioural change training. Both ISM and the DVSA have an administrative infrastructure for evaluation and monitoring of both participants and the standards adopted by the facilitators. These are systematically recorded and submitted on an annual basis to the DVSA, who publish these for public information.

This evidence demonstrates the suitability of the DDRS as a disposal in reducing the likelihood of re-offending and making Scotland’s roads safer!!!

ISM Psychological Services Ltd Launch New Website

We are delighted to announce to all members and the world in general that Sharron Reilly and her team at ISM Psychological Services have launched a new website.

After some improvements and polishing of the old website she has relaunched and produced a short promo video (through her membership of the RTLcooperative) to help promote the site.

An easy way to introduce members and their clients and contacts to this new service, now available in Scotland, is simply to share the video with them. It highlights how easy it is to access the website on all mobile devices, tablets, phones etc.

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The court reduce the length that you’re banned from driving if you complete the course within a certain time. The ban is usually reduced by a quarter.

Deciding to take a Drink Drive Awareness Course

You have to decide in court, when you are found guilty and if offered a referral, if you want to take a course or not. You won’t be able to change your mind at a later date.

Before going to court you can find a course that you want to be referred to if you are found guilty and banned from driving.

Alcohol alters people perceptions and decisions. People under the influence of alcohol will readily confess that they take chances that they wouldn’t do when they are sober and too often, those chances prove to be disastrous when made behind the wheel of a vehicle. It is estimated that the risk of a driver being killed while under the influence of alcohol is eleven times greater compared to those drivers who don’t have alcohol in their system.

The Effects of Alcohol

Alcohol is absorbed in the bloodstream through small blood vessels found in the walls of the stomach and within minutes, it travels from there to the brain where it produces the following effects:

When you take account all of these effects, it is obvious that drinking and driving is not a good mix. We all know it and in Scotland it is clear that drink driving is socially unacceptable. We are often asked in the new drink drive limit has increased the amount of cases we have for drink driving. The answer is no. If anything our case load for drink driving has reduced. We reckon this is because of social pressure and the fact that drivers now completely understand that any drink driving, even one drink is really unacceptable. The message seems to be getting through. The other side of that coin is that businesses have been devastated by the new behavior that is now happening in Scotland. Golf Clubs, community clubs, restaurants that rely on lunchtime sales, pubs that rely on food sales have all been badly affected by the drink drive limit reduction.

The Rundown

Let’s say you did go driving when you’ve had a drink. You suddenly hear the sound of the siren and see those unmistakable blue flashing lights. What happens next?

Suspicion – The car is pulled over because the driver exhibits signs of suspicious driving.

Signs – The officer smells any odor of alcohol and the driver displays symptoms of alcohol intoxication which includes general confusion and slurred speech. The driver will then be made to exit the car.

Tests – The officer will make the driver perform a sobriety testing. If the driver failed to demonstrate proper motor skills, the officer will ask permission to perform a Blood Alcohol Content Test or BAC test. This is to measure the amount of alcohol in a person’s system.

Result – If the driver fails this test, it will result to legal charges. This will be a good time to contact the best road traffic expert in your area but you are unlikely to have their number available UNLESS you have the foresight to note their telephone number when you are doing your research. Why not put our number into your mobile right now 0800 612 9597

If YOU need a road traffic lawyer in Scotland feel free to call us on 0800 612 9597 and we will be pleased to meet with you and advise you on the percentage chance of us winning your case and the strengths and weaknesses of your position.

Making a Decision

It is a conscious choice to drink and drive or to put down the keys and take a taxi instead.

Educating members of our community through Drink Drive Awareness courses is a good way to prevent fatalities and injuries involving vehicular accidents. But for those who are facing a charge and a mandatory ban, get in touch today. We will provide you with a free case consultation to explain face to face what we can do for you to limit the damage and deal with this case in a discrete manner that avoids hassle and stress.

You’ll be given a ‘certificate of course completion’ by the course provider when you complete the course. They will also send a copy to the court that sentenced you.

The court will tell DVLA so that your ban is reduced.

You’ll need to reapply for a driving licence and take a medical if you’re a ‘high risk offender’. You should check to see if you’re a high risk offender as the court may not have mentioned this. Check with your course provider if you’re unsure.